Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Hosting the Commonwealth Games presents the whole of Scotland with great opportunities to make material improvements to people''s lives: to improve people''s health, to help get people into work, to increase the confidence and international profile of Scotland and to make Scotland a more environmentally-friendly country. As well as bringing estimated net economic benefits of £81 million and 1,200 net new jobs at a Scottish level, the games can lend impetus to the delivery of existing priorities and programmes across all policy interests be they sport, health, education, business, cultural, tourism, volunteering and others.

That is why we have consulted widely - through a written consultation and through public meetings at 16 locations across Scotland “ to establish where and, as importantly, how we can best use the games to benefit and leave a lasting legacy to all areas of Scotland. We have put in place a comprehensive group structure comprising internal and external stakeholders to consider that feedback and help develop and deliver a Games Legacy Plan. In doing so we will look to optimise the opportunities the games present whilst remaining realistic in our ambitions. The detailed Games Legacy Plan is due to be published in summer 2009.

Key to the level of success depends on everyone being committed to the plan and playing their part in making it work at a national and local level. Just as we did to win the bid, it is vitally important that we all unite behind the common goal of making these games a success for all of Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The report, Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare, published by Scottish Government in 2008, recognised the important role of Community Hospitals as a resource hub providing a range of core services, including enhanced diagnostics and integrating and co-locating services provided by other related organisations. Further details can be found in the chapter Improving the Patient Experience of Remote Primary Care, pages 9 to 19. The full report is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45640).

As far as funding is concerned, it is the responsibility of NHS boards to plan and provide health care services to meet the assessed needs of their resident populations.

Under the implementation of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula all boards will receive a standard increase in funds each year with those boards currently below NRAC formula target given additional funds to move them towards their NRAC target share of resources. No board will lose any funding.

Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare establishes a framework for sustainable health care in remote and rural Scotland.

The report proposes a focus on sharing skills and expertise across communities and on improving links between different types of health care. In particular, it recommends that Community and Rural General hospitals should work more closely with specialists in larger centres and that greater use should be made of new technologies that help practitioners to share their knowledge.

The emerging model of care will be supported with educational packages specifically developed for remote and rural practitioners, improved support networks with larger centres and technology, transport and retrieval systems.

No. Like under Arbuthnott, the changes to the funding formula will be phased in gradually to assure the stability of the health boards'' financial position. I have confirmed that no board will receive a drop in the level of their funding as a result of the funding formula changes, this year or indeed any year through the current period of the settlement. This point is extremely important as it means that far from there being health cuts, all boards have received a standard uplift for 2008-09, regardless of any additional uplifts to those boards below their target shares.